Scraping on sad times

We have had floods up north . A fast ride has filled my truck .But it is sad as people have lost so much , I ask people if it's ok ,one person yelled at me, all others i talked to i stated how sad i was for there misfortune . I helped some one take out a wet pool table .
I called all the local police to find out who has marshal law , some towns do because, some low life's are going on to peoples driveways to steal items drying out.Also some A-holes went to steal from peoples homes as people evacuated.
I know many scrapers & we are good people, It's to bad low lifes tarnish it for us curbside collectors.

It happens all the time, even without the unfortunately flooding that has recently happened.

It is sad, unfortunately. Most people have to keep the stuff, because insurance agents have to make a detailed report of anything that was ruined.

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Originally Posted by Kris Kringle

You Have Bigger Balls then Me My Friend there is No Way In Hade I would even Attempt to go out and ask anybody for their Scrap After This Just Happened. I guess that is why I will never be Big Time.

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True words. In Southern Indiana, we got mauled a by a set of tornadoes this summer. I mean 2 trailer parks were decimated. 17 people were arrested for going through those folks homes and destroyed debris, trying to scrap things out. It was sad. I kept my nose out of it. I saw two mobile home tear-downs from the whole thing and even then I was apprehensive on making a buck on those. I'm always thinking about what if it were me, which could be a real possibility. I wouldn't want someone trying to capitalize on me as my walls fell in, my food was gone, and my bank account ran on negatives.

Yes i finished for the night & the whole time i felt sadness I spoke to lots of home owners they said it's ok then I'd talk to them for a time about life. It was very odd, i was the only guy out tonight & even though i did get confirmation from police I heard 2 guys say to me be careful the cops are very suspicious of scrapers at this time, any way i slipped by .
I could see if we ever got hit with total destruction, no way could i scrap, these home owners lost basement items but 99.5% still have there homes . A few did have there home condemned.,As it was i had to pass up on items that i always look for but i just could not fit any more items. The idea of loading the roof high also would look like gluttony. A large truck i mean LARGE could really have made out tonight, but to conspicuous .
About 35 to 40 % of shopping areas are affected , so there are many dumpsters I am staying away from as i figure that would land me in Jail. I am not used to this feeling i am not happy but glad i have the items i did get to day ???

Some scrapper is going to profit from this situation. It may as well be you. If you have the word power to deal with people who are already feeling devastated, then more power to you. Sorry the trespassing thieves are making things difficult. May your towns people get through this quickly with the least amount of anguish possible.

I have had many calls from former clients wanting me to come and remove appliances, electrical boxes, wiring, plumbing and such from their homes. This will not make me a low life, business is business, and if the garbage company's, grocery stores, hardware stores, lumber yards, and restaurants are allowed to profit form the situation, why cant I. I am offering a service, and my service is free. If people want me to remove their items then I will be there to take what ever they want to remove. When I do go to one of these areas, I will have no issue asking neighbors if they would like me to take their items also.

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Originally Posted by c4f5

Some scrapper is going to profit from this situation. It may as well be you. If you have the word power to deal with people who are already feeling devastated, then more power to you. Sorry the trespassing thieves are making things difficult. May your towns people get through this quickly with the least amount of anguish possible.

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Well it is from my hart & i seem to have the word power I am going back to install screens in a basement (so it will dry out) for free to a 80 yr woman who gave me lots of items.also as i looked i found things she still wanted so i feel better of my work now. As long as i can help i feel ok about taking. Some body yelled at me on another block, The bottom line is this if you don't have permission you will get arrested I found out that's the new rule

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Originally Posted by Copper Head

Well it is from my hart & i seem to have the word power I am going back to install screens in a basement (so it will dry out) for free to a 80 yr woman who gave me lots of items.also as i looked i found things she still wanted so i feel better of my work now. As long as i can help i feel ok about taking. Some body yelled at me on another block, The bottom line is this if you don't have permission you will get arrested I found out that's the new rule

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LOL that's always been the rule. That's what bothers me sometimes about folks on here. There's always the "I took a walk and found this.." or "I saw a broken fence and this" or "somebody had their house totaled and this happened and I got this..."

That's not how scrapping works. You will eventually get plowed in the chocolate starfish by the fuzz, you're just making out because the fuzz aren't around. That's cool and all, but eventually you will get popped.

Try this. Google map the location, look for a house in the vicinity, talk to the owner. If there is no home, hit up the address and then use the net or your local county office and find a land owner's address and contact info. You always ask. Always.

Times of tragedy are even worse. You think your local cops are jerks now, wait until they catch you after fit hits the shan when floods or tornadoes happen. They will make an example out of you and you'll go from having a profitable sole proprietorship to being in the police beat with a little blurb about you. It's a reputation buster.

It's free when it's considered trash. How do you know if it's trash? When it's usually away from the residence, on the curb, in a proper receptacle labeled by a trash company. Otherwise, just ask. You'll save yourself thousands in oopsy daisy legal fee's.

It's all gravy until a dude with a gun starts asking questions, homeowners and johnny law alike.

well this town never is strict about scraping i have had cops drive by me all the time , But now they will stop you unless you have permission (cause of the flood) , the woman i helped turned me on to 5 house of her friends and since the police did get her confirmation from her (on the street) all day the cops ignored me, I think any way they have seen me allot also. When i was first ask by cop what i was doing ,I said i am scrapping & helping the woman & being sensitive to the situation.
Later on i found stuff at curb from a bar & a sheriff truck and cop car did not bother me. There is a 9:00 pm curfew that i will obay, sure i am apprehensive of the one cop who might want to make an example

By the way, the guy who yelled at me, i felt bad , and i can't afford to have any one mad at me (like when they see my truck) in the future. So i drove back to his house gave apology and all is well.

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Originally Posted by CMHN

This will not make me a low life, business is business, and if the garbage company's, grocery stores, hardware stores, lumber yards, and restaurants are allowed to profit form the situation, why cant I?

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I hope I didn't give the impression that I thought it would. It was not my intention.

There is an article in my local newspaper today about people stealing scrap in flooding areas. Any contractor that is going into a flood zone must be escorted on and off. They are watching very close for looters and thieves. If anybody is going to do any scrapping in these areas, make sure you know what the rules are or you will get arrested.

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Originally Posted by CMHN

There is an article in my local newspaper today about people stealing scrap in flooding areas. Any contractor that is going into a flood zone must be escorted on and off. They are watching very close for looters and thieves. If anybody is going to do any scrapping in these areas, make sure you know what the rules are or you will get arrested.

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That is why you always seek permission.

I personally have every client fill out an authorization form that gives me the right to pick whatever up that I am being contracted to do...even when it comes to junk removal jobs.

To many nosy neighbors, etc.

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Originally Posted by GeorgeB

That is why you always seek permission.

I personally have every client fill out an authorization form that gives me the right to pick whatever up that I am being contracted to do...even when it comes to junk removal jobs.

To many nosy neighbors, etc.

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That is a very good idea, I think I will draft something along the same lines for my use. I have had people stop me on private drives and inquire about what I am doing there. If I had the paperwork in hand they cant dispute it.

Now I just need to decide what I will put on it.

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Originally Posted by CMHN

That is a very good idea, I think I will draft something along the same lines for my use. I have had people stop me on private drives and inquire about what I am doing there. If I had the paperwork in hand they cant dispute it.

Now I just need to decide what I will put on it.

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http://viprecycling.com/blankauthorization.doc is what I use, minus my letterhead is on mine.

I am paying money for like washing machines @ 50 % value then i find others living near, say it's OK for me to take any thing i want ,a cop did check up on me today and of course i had permission, but it goes to show how fast one can get in trouble
I found some new area's so devastated (total flooding ,people lost every thing , streets lined at curb 7ft high with all there stuff ,no power , no water - streets all mud. NO way in heck would i ask them.
fact is, i think curb pickers might need to help these people, since in good times these people provide a lively hood with there combined buying & tossing to trash of items of worth during good times .
Now as to the lively hood, well i feel that this might change collecting in my towns, as of now the police have a foot hold and the attention of collectors, I wonder if it will ever go back to what it once was, or the law might change to what it is now, for good - which might be what many people have always wanted .
As it stands there is so much patrolling going on it's unnerving.It would be totally impractical in the future to ask each and every home owner for the one item you see at curb.
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For almost 2 yrs I've seen my collecting type of work as a benign way of working in the community , I float with the ebb of the mood of people. To push on as of now, to earn the income - is like being in the spot light - ALL EYES ON ME - I believe people like me have been tolerated, but many a heckler now are voicing there view on the curb side collector. The main positive i see with collectors are they bring items & business to the yards , The yards use the profits to hire local people (not just a few people) ,that is also important to community's. Scrap yards = jobs + trucking + Shipping items on boats + fuel + Me and others spending our money in the community. of course I realize yards get metals from other huge sources but all collectors = something just as big

I think once the communities recover the police will not even think about curb pickers. Its just right now, people are taking items that the owners don't want to get rid of, some items they are just pulling out of their houses to dry out. They have to protect the victims right now and respect that. Unless I have somebody call me up and ask to remove something, I am staying out of the flood areas, no need to cause trouble.

Well i just keep scraping no matter what , I talk to lots of people . Saw a woman trying to pull her couches out to the sun so I helped her .
I saw 2 people with a u hall truck trying to gather stuff . I did them a favor and told them about having to ask first,
these 2 i could see never scraped before.To me that's insulting to the flood victims , I don't see what i do as insulting, since i do it year round it's what i do also I am willing to pay 50% of scrap value or favors around there home . But those two people got a brain storm - LETS rent a big shiny U hall truck & collect flood victimize goods for $$ that's heartless
Sure even I could rent a large truck , but i don't want to look like that .I would feel stupid talking to them about how bad the flood is wile the truck is loaded with $1000 plus. Now of course if by chance it happens you have a big truck then that's OK cause once more that's what you do, and when i am (like you) in a community scraping I & we, eat get gas spend $$ in there community

They ran an article in the paper yesterday about fake FEMA reps going into houses, declaring them condemned, and claiming they needed to be scrapped. It just goes to show how far some people are willing to go

I hope they catch them and jail them